Chevy Chase- (Boston, MA) 1811 Coverly broadside
[From American Antiquarian Society (web-site). Sold by N. Coverly jr. corner of Theatre-alley Milk street-- Boston, October 1811. According to Barry (BBM, 1929) the Coverly broadside (see image below) printed in 1811 in Boston, Ma., "was traditional and not in very good form."
The Coverly broadside is similar to Child B, the English broadsides of 68 stanzas. Some significant differences are: Earl Percy is spelled Earl Piercy throughout and stanzas 30-32 are missing.
R. Matteson 2015]
Coverly Broadside, October 1811, Boston
“Chevy Chase” - Stanzas numbered with Child, Version B
1. God prosper long our noble king,
Our lives and safeties all;
A woeful hunting once there did
In Chevy Chase befall.--
2. To drive the deer with hound and horn,
Earl Percy took his way,
The child may rue that is unborn,
The hunting of that day.
3. The stout Earl of Northumberland
A vow to God did make,
His pleasure in the Scottish woods
Three summer days to take.
4, The chiefest hearts in Chevy Chase
To kill and bear away.
The tidings to Earl Douglas came,
In Scotland where he lay
5. Who sent Earl Percy present word
He would prevent his sport.
The English Earl not fearing this,
Did to the woods resort.
6. With fifteen hundred bow-men bold;
All chosen men of might,
Who knew full well in time of need
To aim their shafts aright.
7. The gallant greyhounds swiftly ran
To chase the fallow deer:
On Monday they began to hunt
When daylight did appear.
8. And long before high noon they had
An hundred fat bucks slain;
Then having din'd the drovers went
To rouse them up again.
9. The bow-men mustered on the hill,
Well able to endure;
Their backsides all, with special care,
That day were garded[sic] sure.
10. The hounds ran swiftly thro' the woods,
The nimble deer to take,
That with their cries the hills and dales
An eccho shrill did make.
11. Lord Piercy to the quarry went,
To view the tender deer;
Quoth he, Earl Douglas promised
This day to meet me here.
12. If that I thought he would not come,
Noe longer would I stay.
With that, a brave young gentleman
Thus to the Earle did say:
13. Lo, yonder doth Earl Douglas come,
His men in armour bright;
Full twenty hundred Scottish spears
All marching in our sight.
14. All men of pleasant Tividale,
Fast by the river Tweed;
O cease your sports, Earl Piercy said,
And take your bows with speed.
15. And now with me, my countrymen,
Your courage forth advance;
For never was these champion yet,
In Scotland or in France,
16. That ever did on horseback come,
But, finee my hap it were,
I durst encounter man for man,
With him to break a spear.
17. Earl Douglas on his milk-white steed,
Most like a baron bold,
Rode foremost of his company,
Whose armour shone like gold.
18. Show me, he said, whose men you be,
That hunt so boldly here,
That without my consent do chase
And kill my fallow deer?
19. The first man that did answer make
Was noble Piercy he;
Who said, We list not to declare,
Nor show whose men we be.
20. Yet we will spend our dearest blood,
Thy chiefest hart to slay.
The Douglas swore a solemn oath,
And thus in rage did say:
21. E're thus I will out braved be,
One of us two shall die:
I know thee well an earl thou art;
Lord Piercy, so am I.
22. But trust me, Piercy, pity it were
And great offence to kill
Any of these our harmless men,
For they have done no ill.
23. Let thou and I the battle try,
And set our men aside.
Accurs'd be he, Earl Piercy sayd,
By whom this is deny'd.
24. Then step'd a gallant squier forth,
Witherington was his name,
Who said, I wold not have it told
To Henry our king for shame.
25. That e're my captain fought on foot
And I stood looking on.
You be two earls, said Witherington,
And I a squier alone:
26. I'll doe the best that do I may,
While I have power to stand:
While I have power to wield my sword,
I'll fight with heart and hand.
27. Our English archers bent their bows
Their hearts were good and true;
At the first flight of arrows sent,
Full fourscore Scots they slew.
28. To drive the deer with hound and horn,
Earl Douglas had the bent,
A captain mov'd with mickle pride,
The spears to shivers sent.
29. His host he parted had in three,
As leader ware and try'd,
And soon his spearmen on his foes
Bare down on every side. [1]
33. They closed full fast on ev'ry side,
No slackness there was found;
And many a gallant gentleman
Lay gasping on the ground.
34. O Christ! it was a grief to see,
And likewise for to hear,
The cries of men lying in their gore,
And scatter'd here and there.
35. At last these two stout earl did meet,
Like captains of great might;
Like lions mov'd, they laid on load,
And made a cruel fight.
36. They fought until they both did sweat,
With swords of temper'd steel;
Until the blood, like drops of rain,
They trickling down did feel.
37. Yield thee, Lord Piercy, Douglas said;
In faith I will thee bring,
Where thou shalt hight[2] advanced be
By James our Scottish king.
38. Thy ransom I will freely give,
And this report of thee,
Thou art the most couragious knight
That ever I did see.
39. To, Douglas, quoth Earl Piercy then,
Thy proffer I do scorn;
I will not yield to any Scott,
That ever yet was born.
40. With that there came an arrow keen,
Out of an English bow,
Which struck Earl Douglas to the heart,
A deep and deadly blow.
41. Who never spoke more words than these,
Fight on, my merry men all;
For why, my life is at an end;
Lord Piercy sees my fall?
42. Then leaving life, Earl Piercy took
The dead man by the hand;
And said, Earl Douglas, for thy life
Would I have lost my land.
43. O Christ! my very hart doth bleed
With sorrow for thy sake;
For sure, a more renowned knight
Mischance did never take.
44. A knight among the Scots there was
Who saw Earl Douglas die,
Who straight in wrath did vow revenge
Upon the Lord Piercy.
45. Sir Hugh Montgomery was he call'd,
Who, with a spear most bright,
Well mounted on a gallant steed,
Ran fiercely through the fight;
46. And past the English archers all,
Without all dread and fear;
And through Earl Piercy‟s body then
He thrust his hateful spear.
47. With such a veh'ment force and might
He did his body gore,
The spear ran thro' the other side
A large cloth-yard or more.
48. So thus did both these nobles die,
Whose courage none could stain:
An English archer then perceived
The noble earl was slain.
49. He had a bow bent in his hand,
Made of a trusty tree;
An arrow of a cloth-yard long
Up to the head drew he:
50. Against Sir Hugh Montgomery,
So right the shaft he set,
The grey goose wing that was thereon,
In his heart‟s blood was wet.
51. This fight did last from break of day
Till setting of the sun;
For when they rang the ev'ning-bell
The battle scarce was done.
52. With the Earl Piercy, there was slain
Sir John of Ogerton,
Sir Robert Ratcliff, and Sir John,
Sir James that bold baron.
53. And with Sir George and stout Sir James
Both knights of good account,
Good Sir Ralph Rabby there was slain,
Whose prowess did surmount.
54. For Witherington needs most I wail,
As one in doeful dumps;
For when his legs were smitten off,
He fought fought upon his stumps.[3]
55. And with Earl Douglas there was slain,
Sir Hugh Montgomery,
Sir Charles Currel, that from the field
One foot wold never fly.
56. Sir Charles Murray, of Ratcliff too,
His sister‟s son was he;
Sir David Lamb, so well esteem'd,
They saved could not be.
57. And the Lord Maxwell in likewise
Did with Earl Douglas die:
Of twenty hundred Scottish spears
Scarce fifty five did fly.
58. Of fifteen hundred Englishmen,
Went home but fifty-three;
The rest were slain in Chevy Chase,
Under the green wood tree.
59. Next day did many widows come,
Their husbands to bewail;
They washed their wounds in brinish tears,
But all would not prevail.
60. Their bodies, bathed in purple blood,
They bore with them away;
They kiss'd them dead a thousand times,
When they were clad in clay.
61. The news was brought to Edinburgh,
Where Scotland's king did reign,
That brave Earl Douglas suddenly
Was with an arrow slain.
62. O heavy news, King James did say,
Scotland may witness be,
I have not any captain more
Of such account as he.
63. Like tidings to King Henry came,
Within as short a space,
That Piercy of Northumberland
Was slain in Chevy Chase.
64. Now God be with him, said our king,
Saith 'twill no better be;
I trust I have, within my realm,
Five hundred as good as he.
65. Yet shall not Scot nor Scotland say,
But I will vengeance take;
And be revenged on them all
For brave Earl Piercy's sake.
66. This vow full well the king perform'd
After, on Humbledown;
In one day fifty knights were slain,
With lords of great renown.
67. And of the rest, of small account,
Did many thousands die:
Thus ended the hunting of Chevy Chase
Made by the Earl Piercy.
68. God save our king, and bless the land
With plenty, joy, and peace;
And grant henceforth, that foul debate
'Twixt noblemen may cease.
__________________________
Sold by N. Coverly jr. corner of Theatre-alley
Milk street-- Boston, October 1811
1. three stanzas missing
2. high (Child B)